This invention relates to a computer and, more specifically, to a user-supported mobile computer.
There are known in the art computers that have been used involving wearable computers and peripheral computer components. The feature of these prior art computers is that they permit the user to have freedom to use his or her hands for repairing or other functions while using a fully functional computer. One of the most commercially successful and well known of these computers is the Mobile Assistant(copyright) available from Xybemaut Corporation of Fairfax, Va. Mobile Assistant(copyright) is a registered trademark of Xybernaut Corporation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,244 (Newman, et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,824 (Newman et al.) describe the details of the Mobile Assistant(copyright) and fully disclose the components and function of such user-supported computers. Both U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,305,244 and 5,844,824 are owned by the assignee of the present application.
Also disclosing wearable computers are U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,398 (Janik I) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,651 (Janik II). Both of these patents disclose a belt computer containing the elements or components of a computer. In Janik I, the plurality of computing elements are located on the belt and a flexible signal relaying means connects all of the elements for computing. A protective covering is used for enclosing said computer elements. In Janik II, a similar belt computer is described and claimed in which the signal relaying means, the length of which between any two computing elements is greater than the length of the wearable number between any two computing elements. In both Janik I and Janik II, the flexible wearable computer is in the form of a belt comprising around its periphery sequentially positioned computer elements. It is an objective of all wearable computers that the size of the components be as small as possible and as light as possible without sacrificing performance. The use of a battery is necessary in all wearables and the accessibility of the battery to the user is an important element. Many wearables have the battery as a separate unit connected by cables to the computer housing. While there are advantages to this arrangement, there are also some disadvantages such as cables interfering with the user""s objectives.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a computer structure devoid of the above-noted disadvantages.
A further object of this invention is to provide a computer structure and battery that when worn can be used interchangeably on the right or left side of a user.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a mobile computer structure and battery that can be worn on any portion of the body in a hands-free manner.
Another still further object of this invention is to provide a mobile computer having outlets or other means to connect onto or outlets comparable with components of a stand along, laptop or desktop computer.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a computer structure that contains substantially all of the components needed in a general purpose or conventional computer including but not limited to input/output means, processor means and storage means.
A further object of this invention is to provide a wearable computer housing having connecting means adapted to be connected to and immediately adjacent a battery holder which does not require connecting wires or cables.
Yet still another object of this invention is to provide a mobile body-worn computer that can be worn and operated by both right and left-handed users.
Other objects will become apparent upon a further reading of this disclosure.
The above objects and others are accomplished, generally speaking, by a computer housing structure containing a conventional computer that has a cable-less connector adapted for connection with a mating connector on a battery holder. By xe2x80x9cconventional computerxe2x80x9d is meant any general purpose computer known and used today such as those available from IBM, Dell, Apple, Gateway, Compaq, Toshiba, Micron, Hewlett-Packard etc. The computer structure of this invention in one embodiment has a computer housing and battery holder that can be worn around the waist of a user and is curved on its inner side (the side that contacts the user""s waist) to be contoured in accordance with the curvature of the user""s waist. It has structural dimensions or area that occupies only a portion of said user""s waistline. Thus, unlike Janik I and II above discussed, the housing does not encircle the entire waist of the user. In the prior art, when used as a torso or waist-worn computer, it was important that battery connection cables and other electrical connections extend from the computer so as to be out of the way and not interfere with the userxe2x80x9d hands when he or she is attempting to repair an object or machine or otherwise use their hands. The optimum would be the elimination of the battery connecting cable entirely. The present invention provides this. The housing of the computer of this invention has outlets for cable-less connection to other components such as power supplies, monitors, keyboards or any other required component. All embodiments of a mobile computer described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,844,824 and 5,305,244 are included in those structures usable in the present invention with the modification described and claimed herein. The disclosure of these two patents are incorporated by reference into the present disclosure.
The embodiment of this invention that includes voice activation when the computer is body-worn also includes a body-worn display screen such as a head-worn, arm-worn display, neck-hung or other suitable display. The computer housing in the present invention includes all of the components found in a conventional computer such as a storage means, processor means, audio transducer and converter means, and recognizing means, all of which are described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,305,244 and 5,844,824. Also included in this embodiment are means for mounting the computer housing onto a user; generally, attachment is made on a belt worn by a user such as around the waist, around the neck or wrist, over the shoulder or onto a vest, hereinafter torso worn. The sides of the computer housing can be ribbed or louvered to permit heat to be dissipated from the interior of the housing and to allow proper internal temperature best suited for computer operation. The computer housing, generally, is made of a lightweight yet rigid plastic or other suitable material. This housing preferably comprises a single internal compartment that houses substantially all of the components of a conventional computer. It can be contoured or curved to follow the curvature of the human body such as the waistline. The portion of the computer housing that contacts the user""s body is referred to in this invention as xe2x80x9cthe inner sidexe2x80x9d.
The battery holder or the computer housing of the present invention can contain other peripherals or other components such as a five wire means, USB, a built-in wireless system, PCMCIA slot, a compact flask slot or ACF. Also a floating ribbon connector can be built around the attaching belt (below as element 2 so a user can position the structure of this invention anywhere around the belt.
The novel structure or computer system of this invention comprises a wearable computer housing having cable-less connection means to an attached battery holder. The computer housing is a substantially rigid computer housing having a single internal compartment that houses substantially all of the components of a conventional computer. The housing has a pin connector (or other suitable connector) to connect with a mating connector in the battery holder. The battery holder is attached to the computer housing at a location on said housing other than a side immediately adjacent the user""s body, hereinafter described in the specification and claims as the xe2x80x9cinner sidexe2x80x9d.